Removal of waste yarn from bobbins and the like



P 1949- W R. w. LINDSAY 2,482,854

REMOVAL OF WASTE YARN FROM BOBBINS AND THE LIKE Filed May 22. 1947 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Sept. 27, 1949. R. w. LINDSAY 2,482,854

REMOVAL OF WASTE YARN FROM BOBBINS AND THE LIKE Filed May 22, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 p 26 lli ll J7 I 4 2 2.9

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if AMer/ Wadalmdsql Patented Sept. 27, 1949 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' REMOVAL OF WASTE YARN FROM ROBBINS AND THE LIKE Robert Wade Lindsay, Enka, N. (3., assignor to American'Enka Corporation, Enka, N. (7., a

corporation of Delaware Application May 22, 1947, Serial No. 749,802

While this invention is of wide applicability in.

connection with the removal of yarn from all types of circular holders, it is of particular utility in connection with the removal of waste rayon from tubular bobbins employed in the manufacture of rayon. During the various steps involved in the manufacture and processing of rayon, the yarn is unwound from the bobbins or spools several times. Each time it is unwound the innermost layers of the package are left upon th bobbins for various reasons, usually because these innermost layers have imperfections therein which lower the physical and chemical properties in the finished product.

Since many thousands of bobbins or spoolsare used and re-used each day in a rayon manufacturing plant, it can readily be seen that an efficient method for removing the waste therefrom is required. One method of removing the waste which has persisted in the industry is the step of severing the residual layers of yarn by means of a knife manually wielded by an operator. This method is slow and therefore expensive from the standpoint of labor costs. Furthermore, there is danger of injury to the operator, and as a matter of fact, it has been determined in practice that injury to the surfaces of the lacquered bobbins is considerable, thereby requiring excessive bobbin replacement or relacquering. This is due to the fact that it i impossible manually t regulate with sufficient precision the path of the knife as it passes over the surface of the bobbin.

In an effort to eliminate any manual operations in removing or strippin the waste rayon from the bobbin, the industry has developed complicated bobbin stripping machinery involving a large number of moving parts, Despite the com-' plexity of these machines and their high cost, they are capable of cutting and stripping the waste from only one bobbin at a time. In other words, it is necessary to place the bobbins in themachine on a conveying means and pass them in sequence to a cutting mechanism. The cutting blade is automatically passed in an axial direction between the bobbin and the waste material, after which the waste is removed by means of fluid pressure, such as a water spray or anair nozzle. These machines are expensive to manufacture and maintain, but their principal disadvantage is in the loss of time resulting from the 13 Claims. (01. 28-19) occurrence of breakdowns. The use of these machines has therefore been limited and does not compare favorably with the older operation of manually cutting the waste from the holders.

According to the present invention there has been developed a system whereby the advantages of manual operation have been combined with the simplest features of the automatic machine whereby a minimum of moving parts is employed.

It is therefore the object of the present inven tion to provide an efficient method of removing waste rayon from bobbins characterized by the high speed successive stripping of groups of bobibins by guided, easily performed manual operaions.

The invention further contemplates a system embodying a stationary cutting edge that is adjustable, and a cutting zone, which is determined by the dimensions of the bobbins to be stripped.

Another object of this invention is to provide stop means at the front and rear of the cutting zone in order to control the cutting operation which can then be effected manually in a very eflicient manner, and the waste rayon can be removed from the bobbins as it is being severed.

Other obiects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of waste-severing apparatus constructed in accordance with the principal of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the waste-cutting stations of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, a hopper I0 is provided for receiving a large number of bobbins containing thereon convolutions of waste rayon. This hopper is mounted on legs II and contains two openings l2, through which the bobbins are permitted to fall into water trays l3 to furnish the supply at hand. These water trays are leak-proof and are supplied with sufficient water to wet-out the waste material on the'bobbins, so that the coils of waste can be removed in the form of mats.

A platform I. is arranged in front of the water trays and is supported by legs I5. At the center of, and positioned on the platform is a skeleton framework It whichin turnserves as a support for a bobbin-guiding and yarn-severing mechaanism generally indicated at H. The mechanism i1 is integrally flxed on the skeleton framework l6 and consists of two adjustably mounted stationary knives l8, bobbin guideways i9, and tubular member 20.

Upon reference to Figures 3 and 4 it will be seen thateach knife per se consists of a vertically depending cutting edge 2| mounted on a base 22 which is wedge shaped at its front end to pass between the mat of waste rayon and the bobbin. As shown in Figure 1, the forward cutting edges 2i of the knives are slanted toward the front of the platform and extend a predetermined distance upwardly between the interrupted guldeways i9, which guideways govern the horizontal movement of the bobbin. In order to adjust the knives to the proper positions in the guideways, the knives are mounted on inclined blocks 23 which rest on inclined blocks 24 which are integral with the mechanism I'l. Blocks 23 are adapted to slide on blocks 24 but are held in fixed relation therewith by means of rods 25 which are screw-threaded at 26 to receive nuts 21 which ride in vertical slots 28. Rods 25 are mounted in bearings 29 and 30 and are screw-threaded at their other ends to receive lock nuts 3| which maintain the assembly in a fixed position. In this way, the knives are adjusted to suit the particular type bobbins or spools to be stripped of waste, and as the knives are maintained in a fixed position for any given cutting operation, there is no possibility to damage the lacquer' on the bobbins.

At the front and rear ends of the guideways l9, stops 32 and 33 are provided to limit the horizontal movement of the bobbins. The tubular member 20 is centered between the guldeways l9 and serves as a stop to prevent movement of the bobbins in a direction transverse to theiraxes. Adjacent the rear portion of each of the guideways is an inclined shelf 34, which acts to permit the bobbins to roll into inclined trays 35 after the bobbins have been cleaned.

Referring to Figure 4, it can be seen that when waste material is to be cleaned from bobbins 36, the bobbins bear against guideways l9 and tubular member 20. When the bobbins are first placed in position, one end of each bobbin abuts the front stops 32, see Figure 3, and the distance therefrom to the cutting edge of the knife is gauged slightly less than the distance from the front stops to the other end of the bobbins so that the bobbins cannot pass underneath the base of the knife but the edge of the mat can pass underneath. When the bobbins have been slid axially until the other ends thereof abut the rear stops 33, the ends of the bobbins which abutted the front stops 32 have passed the cutting edges of the knives. In this way,'the mats of waste rayon have been completely severed.

In the operation of the above described system, bobbins containing waste rayon are continuously supplied to the trays from the hopper and are thereby wetted out. The operator standing at the center of the platform in front of the machine, takes in each hand a bobbin from each tray and in one operation places each bobbin against the respective front stops of each guideway and propels each bobbin by gripping the waste thereon until its abuts each rear stop, whereby the cutting blade of the knife engages the mat of waste rayon on the under side at one end of each bobbin and severs it during this stroke. During the cutting operation, the operator, who is holding the bobbins through the mats of waste rayon around the top of the periphery of the bobbins, slides the waste mats oil of the rear ends of the bobbins as a continuation of the motion used in pushing the bobbins along the guideways. The cleaned bobbins abutting the rear stops, being supported by inclined shelves, will roll by gravity into the inclined collecting trays, from which they can be readily transferred to movable containers.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for stripping off waste threa wound arounda bobbin which comprises sequentially severing succeeding coils of waste on the bobbin while advancing the bobbin axially by imparting motion to the waste and through it to the bobbin and, after all the coils are severed,

arresting the axial movement of the bobbin, passing the cut waste over the leading end of the bobbin by continuing to impart motion to the waste after the motion of the bobbin has been arrested and the frictional bond between the bobbin and the waste has been broken as a result of the severance of the component coils thereof.

2. A process for simultaneously stripping off waste thread wound around each of two bobbins which comprises first sequentially severing succeeding coils of waste simultaneously on each of the bobbins while simultaneously advancing the bobbins axially in parallel relationship by imparting motion to the waste, and through it to each of the bobbins, and then, after all the coils are severed, arresting the axial movement of both of the bobbins, passing the cut waste over the respective leading ends of the bobbins by continuing to impart motion to the waste after the motion of the respective bobbins has been arrested.

3. A process for simultaneously stripping off waste thread wound around each of two bobbins which comprises first sequentially severing succeeding coils of waste simultaneously on each of the bobbins while advancing the bobbins axially in parallel relationship by imparting motion to the waste and through it to each bobbin, then, after all of the coils are severed, arresting the axial movement of both of the bobbins while passing the cut waste over the respective leading ends of the bobbins by continuing to impart motion to the waste after the motion of the respective bobbins has been arrested, and finally discharging the bobbins by gravity radially from the respective position of arrest.

4. A process for stripping off waste rayon yarn wound around a bobbin which comprises initially soaking the waste-containing bobbin in water, then sequentially severing succeeding coils of waste on the bobbin while advancing the bobbin axially by imparting motion to the waste and through it to the bobbin and, after all the coils are severed, arresting the axial movement of the bobbin, passing the cut waste over the leading end of the bobbin by continuing to impart motion to the waste after the motion of the bobbin has been arrested and the frictional bond between the bobbin and the waste has been broken as a result of the severance of the component coils thereof.

5. A process for stripping oil waste rayon yarn wound around a bobbin which comprises initially soaking the waste-containing bobbin in water,

then sequentially severing succeeding coils of the bobbin has been arrested, and finally discharging the bobbin by gravity radially from the position of arrest.

6. Apparatus for stripping waste yarn from a bobbin which comprises a guideway for guiding a bobbin for axial movement, a cutting knife mounted on said guideway to sever the waste on the bobbin as it is moved axially therealong and a a bobbin for axial movement, stops at both ends of said guideway for engaging opposite ends of,

the bobbin, cutting means mounted on said guideway to sever the waste on said bobbin as it is moved axially from a starting position in engagement with the first stop to a terminal position in engagement with a second stop, said cut- I ting means being located nearer to said first stop than the length of said bobbin, whereby the cutting means cannot engage the leading end of the bobbin but can engage the waste wound thereon.

8. Apparatus for stripping waste yarn from a bobbin which comprises a guideway for guiding a bobbin for axial movement, a .cutting knife mounted on said guideway to sever the waste on the bobbin as it is moved axially therealong, a-

stop for arresting the movement of the bobbin after passage of the waste thereon through the knife and means coacting with the bobbin and located adjacent said stop for causing gravity. movement of the bobbin away from the position of arrest.

9. Apparatus for stripping waste yarn from bobbins which comprises, a pair of primary guides, a secondary guide therebetween, said guides coacting to define two parallel'paths for guiding bobbins for axial movement and a knife in each of said primary guides to sever the waste on a bobbin as it is moved axially therealong.

10. Apparatus for stripping waste yarn from bobbins which comprises, a pair of primary guides, a secondary guide therebetween, said guides coacting to define two parallel paths for guiding bobbinsfor axial movement, a knife in each of said primary guides to sever the waste on a bobbin as it is moved'axially therealong, and

a stop at a common end of each primary guide for arresting the movement of the respective bobbin after passage of the waste thereon through the respective knife.

11. Apparatus forstripping waste yarn from bobbins which comprises, a pair of spaced, substantially parallel, generally horizontal guides. a

cylindrical guide therebetween and parallel thereto, said guides coacting to define two parallel paths for guiding bobbins for axial movement,

a knife in each of said horizontal guides to sever the waste on the respective bobbin as it is moved axially therealong, a stop at a common end of each horizontal guide for arresting the movement of the respective bobbin after passage of the waste thereon through the respective knife, and ramps adjacent the ends of the horizontal guides which are provided with the stops for coacting with bobbins to cause gravity divergent movement of the bobbins upon release thereof.

12. A system for removing waste yarn from bobbins and the like which comprises a reservoir for holding'a supply of bobbins containing waste rayon, a pair of adjustably mounted, stationary knives positioned in front of the reservoir, bobbin-guiding means for facilitating the manual'movement of a pair of bobbins in an axial ,direction whereby the waste yarn on the bobbins may be simultaneously severed and removed therefrom and means adjacent each bobbin-guiding means for effecting the removal of the cleaned bobbins.

13. A- system for removing waste yarn from bobbins and the like which comprises a reservoir for holding a supply of bobbins containing waste rayon, a pair of water trays adjacent openings in the reservoir through which part of the bobbins fall from time to time to replenish the supply at hand, a pair of adjustably mounted, stationary knives positioned in front of, and between the water trays, bobbin-guid-.

ing means for facilitating the manual movement of a pair of bobbins in an axial direction whereby the waste yarn on the bobbins may be simultaneously severed and removed therefrom and means adjacent each bobbin-guiding means for effecting the removal of the cleaned bobbins.

ROBERT WADE LINDSAY.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

